Page 20 of I Married A Lizardman

I quickly showered, loving the stone design that created the illusion of a waterfall. The toilet was a different story, though. From what I’d seen so far, my new people didn’t possess a single seat with a backrest—ditto with the toilet. It was merely a cylindrical stone seat, hollow in the middle, in a corner of the room. With the damn thing being slightly wider than a human toilet—the hole as well—I had to be extra careful sitting at the edge not to fall in. I felt like a child transitioning to grown-up toilets after completing my potty training.

At first, I had wondered at the lack of backrest everywhere, then I remembered their tails. During the banquet, I had noticed that all of them either tucked it under their benches if they were standing on legs, or curled it around the base to avoid people inadvertently trampling or stepping on them. I would have to sweet talk someone into making me a special chair that I could lean back in to relax.

When I walked out of the house, the village was bustling with activity. The large plaza, where my wedding had been held last night, appeared to have been transformed into an outdoors workshop. Males and females were all working in a relaxed atmosphere, crafting a variety of magnificent objects, from jewelry to housewares and weapons. At the far back, a couple of forges had been set up. Zoltar was currently working at one of them, while Olix stood nearby, talking with a few other males. I didn’t know whether to make my way over there or leave him be for now.

Yamir—my mother-in-law—spared me from further pondering by abandoning whatever task she was doing and coming my way as soon as she saw me. Her broad grin and the pride displayed on her face instantly put me at ease. Last night had been such a rollercoaster of hits and misses that I had not quite known what to expect this morning.

“How are you feeling, Daughter?” Yamir asked as she came to a stop in front of me, her golden lizard eyes giving me an assessing look.

“I feel great, thank you. And after such a wonderful feast last night, I had not expected to be able to eat anything, but that breakfast was so good I devoured it all,” I said with a smile.

Although Yamir smiled, a sliver of worry flashed through her eyes. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Was it too little? Do you still hunger?”

“Oh no!” I exclaimed, shaking my head. “It was more than enough. In truth, it was a bit too much. I do not have a very big appetite.”

Yamir’s shoulders relaxed. That drove me to prod a little further, hoping not to offend her.

“I understand that the food situation has been getting a little challenging in the region of late,” I said carefully. “Is that true?”

She nodded, her face taking on a serious expression. “Hunters have been having a difficult time finding game in their usual hunting grounds. Something is causing a migration of the herds. They have to travel farther now and compete with other predators in those new areas. The situation isn’t dire,” she added quickly as if fearing her words had frightened me. “There is enough for everyone to eat. We’re not starving. Olix will be leading another great hunt in a week.”

I nodded and smiled to show I wasn’t concerned at all. “During the feast last night, there were many delicious side dishes with various roots and vegetables,” I said nonchalantly. “Where did those come from?”

“Our Gatherers harvest some of them in the forest and by the river. The rest, we trade for with other species in the monthly public market,” she replied.

That piqued my interest. “The public market?” I asked.

Yamir nodded. “The first day of every month, a large outdoor market is held outside the spaceport. All the native species bring the various goods they have to offer for sale. The majority of the customers come from the tourist resorts that have been built on our homeworld over the past few decades, as well as a couple of new communities that we have allowed to settle on our planet after their own was decimated by natural disasters. The main refugees are the Bosengi. They are very wealthy and have this silly propensity for flaunting their wealth by acquiring expensive things that can help further display their status.”

Despite the obvious criticism in her voice, Yamir didn’t express disdain but more amusement in the face of a behavior she clearly considered as silly. However, this interesting tidbit of information had not fallen on deaf ears. I would dig further into that public market business.

I cast an assessing glance at the Andturian working on the plaza, my wheels spinning.

“Should I presume then that all the crafting ongoing right now aims at preparing goods for the next market?” I asked.

“Yes,” Yamir said, puffing out her chest with pride. “We are crafting the finest items for convenient use around the dwelling, elegant adornments for the body, and exquisite weapons, both for hunting purposes and to be used in ceremonial settings. Not only do we use unique and highly resistant materials, but we also craft them honoring centuries old techniques and traditions.”

I bit the insides of my cheeks not to smile. You’d think she was doing a sales pitch. She didn’t have to convince me, but I could relate to this kind of passion about a craft passed down from generation to generation and that you devoted your own life perfecting.

“That’s wonderful,” I replied with sincerity. “I hope to learn more about it in the future and maybe even try it out myself.”

“We will be happy to teach you,” Yamir said with approval.

“Do you ever sell or trade some of the food harvested by the Gatherers?” I asked.

She looked at me as if I’d suddenly grown a second head. “Absolutely not,” she said firmly. “We have to be careful in our harvesting not to deplete the area too quickly. Therefore, our vegetable consumption is controlled. With the scarcity of game lately, we have overexploited the natural resources of the forest. We could not afford to sell or trade these precious resources.”

I licked my lips nervously, grateful for this opening onto the subject had been itching to broach ever since my arrival here.

“Yes, that is sensible. However, although I haven’t had a chance to have a close look at them, you appear to have vast lands behind and around the village,” I said nonchalantly. “Have you ever considered growing that produce there instead? That way you’d have plenty to eat and to sell or trade with?”

Yamir recoiled and gave me a shocked look as if I’d said something highly offensive.

“Absolutely not! We are Hunters, not Farmers, she exclaimed, her voice dripping with disdain. “Surely you wouldn’t suggest turning my people into dirt diggers?”

I stiffened, feeling deeply offended by her words.

“First, I’m not trying to turn anyone into anything,” I replied with a slightly clipped tone. “Second, what’s wrong with being a farmer? You do know that I am from Meterion, one of the major farming colonies of the solar system, right?”

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